Airship



Nov. 13, 1923. v 3,473,744,

D. SMITH AIRSHIP Filed Sept. 15. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 NOV., 13, w23. hmmm D. SMlTH A'IRsHIP Filed, Se-4 'ets-Sheet 2 l l l l Nov. 13, w23. hmmm D. SMITH I AIRSHIP Filed Sept. l5 .l 1923 'o' Sheets-Shea?l 3 Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

DAVID SMITH, OF DOUGLAS, WYOIVII'Q'G.

ernennt?.

Application filed September 13, 1923. Serial No. 662,505.

To all iti/tom t may concern:

Be it lrnown that I, DAVID SMrrr-I, a citizen of the the United States, residing at Douglas, in the county of Converse and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and useful Airship, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to airships, one of its objects being to provide a simple and lcompact structure having efficient means for propelling it, said means being located where it will be protected from injury while the airship is in flight and while making a landing.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying' drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of the airship, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a. plan view, portions being shown in section.

Figure 3 isa longitudinal section on the line 3-3, Figure 2.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates the body portion of the airship closed at its sides and ends and provided, at the sides, with compartments 2 for containing` passengers or freight. The bottom of the body is closed except for a slot or opening` 3 at the center thereof through which projects the lower half of a propelling wheel it carried by a transverse shaft This shaft is adapted to be driven by motors indicated generally at 6.

The top of the body l is also closed and mounted within the front and rear portions of the body at the centers thereof are cylindrical containers 7 the outer ends of which are preferably conical as shown at 8. These containers are connected by parallel tubular Vcontainers 9 mounted within the side portions of the body l at the top thereof and communicating at their ends with the sides of the containers 7 as shown at 10. Suitable running gear is provided under the body l and preferably includes hangers 11 arranged in pairs and constituting bearings for axles l2 engaging round wheels 13.

A vertical shaft 14 is journaled in arms 15 extending rearwardly from the body l and secured to the shaft is a vertical rudder 1G having a disk 17 concentric with shaft land connected by operating ropes 18 to suitable controlling mechanism indicated generally at. V19. As the means for operating the rudder does not constitute any part of the present invention it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate or describe it in de* tail.

A housing 20 is arranged upon the body 1 and contains the controlling mechanism and is also adapted to receive the operator.

The containers and 9 are adapted to hold a suitable gas for lifting the airship. Upper and lower sustaining planes 21 and 22 are extended laterally from the body 1 and are for the. usual purpose.

Obviously when the propeller a is rotated the airship will be driven forward and by shifting the plane in any well known manner the airship can be caused to ascend or descend.

What is claimed is:-

1. An airship including a closed body having side load carrying compartments and an intermediate propeller compartment, a propeller projecting below the body and mounted for rotation, front and rear gas containers projecting from the body at the center thereof, and parallel side gas containers within the body and communicating with the front and rear containers.

2. In an airship a closed body having side load receiving compartments and an intermediate propeller compartment, a rotatable propeller within and projecting downwardly from the propeller compartment., side gas containerswithin the body and above the load compartments, end gas containers projecting from thc propeller' compartment and communicating with the side containers, sustaining planes extending from the sides of the body, a control compartment upon the body, and a rudder at one end of the body.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DAVID SMITH.

IVitnesses OTTO LUEPKE, SAM DIGUVANNI. 

